Crafty crusty new pizza restaurant will serve up slices to Frisco

Crafty crusty new pizza restaurant will serve up slices to Frisco

Rotolo's, a pizza chain from Baton Rouge, is opening a new concept in Frisco. Called Rotolo's Craft and Crust, it's a pizzeria that'll open at 9250 Dallas Pkwy., in front of Toyota Stadium, in the space previously occupied by the now-closed Ace's Ice House & Chop Shop.

Rotolo's has a presence in North Texas, with three locations of the original Rotolo's in Lewisville, Tyler, and Longview.

Mitch Rotolo opened the first Rotolo's Pizzeria in 1996 near Louisiana State University. The chain now has 22 locations in Louisiana, along with stores in Texas, Alabama, and Florida.

Barian McGuire, who opened the Rotolo's in Lewisville in 2014, describes the old-school Rotolo's as an Italian-inspired comfort food restaurant with a family-friendly sports-bar atmosphere. The menu has pizza, pasta, salads, calzones, wraps, and sandwiches. Unlike many pizzerias, Rotolo's also has a full bar with daily drink specials and 40 beers on tap.

He's also opening the new Craft and Crust in Frisco. It's is a simpler, pared-down concept with open patio, revamped menu, and full bar with 36 brews, two wines, and two signature cocktails.

McGuire says that Craft and Crust was created in 2016 as a way to recapture some of the chain's original grit and honest charm. It's a scratch menu with salads, hot and cold sandwiches, Italian entrées, and signature calzones.

Frisco will be the fourth branch in the new chain, and will open in early fall 2018.

McGuire, who lives in Frisco, would drive by the Ace's location and knew it had promise.

"I could see that Ace's wasn't doing well, so I called the landlord and told him I wanted to be his first call," McGuire says. "They were familiar with Rotolo's, and wanted a family restaurant. It's definitely what the area needs."

"We've always said we're not your average pizzeria," he says. "With Craft and Crust, we've taken the best of what was on the Rotolo's menu and made it better."